casino movies

Are you nuts about casino games? Well why not mix up your love of casino with a great movie. We’re here to give you a rundown of a few of our favorite watches. Check out our top casino movies and get the popcorn in!

The one that’s an absolute classic

Casino is one of those casino movies that everyone loves. Released in 1995 but set in 1970s Vegas, this is such a great depiction of the gritty side of the strip and beyond of the world’s most famous gambling town.

It’s got star power to beat the band, with Martin Scorsese in the director’s seat and Sharon Stone and Robert De Niro in leading roles. But that’s not all it has. There’s also a really compelling story behind it all. It’s a mobster movie with all that entails. Corrupt officials, crimes up the wazoo, the odd bit of violence. It’s a real mob film, but made exceptionally well.

The one that the critics love

Owning Mahowny isn’t a fun romp of a movie. But it is an engrossing and fascinating watch.

He keeps running up more and more debts, unable to stop himself. This is the story of a gambling addiction taking hold of a man and how difficult situations play out as a result.

The one that’s all about Atlantic City

Atlantic City is set in, you’ve guessed it, Atlantic City. Everyone always goes on about the importance and legacy of Las Vegas. And don’t get us wrong, we’re way into Vegas too. But the story of Atlantic City is fascinating.

With Susan Sarandon and Burt Lancaster in the starring roles, you can see how the legalization of gambling changed the fortunes of this city and its inhabitants. Released in 1980, this is a really great watch.

The one that deals with tough issues

The Gambler shares similar subject matter to Owning Mahowny, but it doesn’t have quite the same finesse. Having said that, it’s still worth watching this 2014 Mark Wahlberg flick.

Wahlberg plays a literature professor whose interest in blackjack morphs over time into something much larger than him. He, somewhat inevitably, racks up a huge amount of debt to unsavory types. And then has to figure out how to pay it all back. But will he do it? You’re going to have to watch to find out.

The one where they try to beat the casino

21 is such an easy film to watch. Everyone loves a story where the little guys try to pull one over on the bigger guys. And this film, starring Kevin Spacey, aims to do just that. MIT students think they can outsmart the Atlantic City casinos and reliably win at blackjack.

They’re here to question the idea of “The house always wins”. Now this 2008 film plot doesn’t exactly go according to plan, but watching the battle between big casino and those smart students is definitely entertaining and worth a few hours of your time.

Fancy playing a few casino games yourself?

If you think you want to get involved in some casino action yourself after those casino movies, we’ve got just the place for you. One of our favorite online casinos is bet365. And you can get a souped up welcome offer when you sign up using this bet365 bonus code.